Remote control for internal combustion engines



June 2, 1936. R. WITZEL ET AL REMOTE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed Sept. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY June 2, 1,93 E. R.WITZEL ET AL REMOTE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept.3, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNE June 2, 1936.

E. R. WITZEL ET AL REMOTE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FiledSept. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 mne'z, 1936.. E, R WITZEL ET AL 2,042,755

REMOTE CONTROL FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept. 3, 1951 4Sheets-Sheet 4 N TOR m zmm ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1936 PATENT OFFICEREMOTE CONTROL FOR; INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Earl R. Witzel. andReuben L. Humbert, Kohler, Wis.

Application September 3, 1931, Serial No. 560,984

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to means for starting and stopping an internalcombustion engine by remote control, thus obviating the necessity ofhaving an attendant at or near the engine. Contemplated uses of. such adevice are in connection with an internal combustion engine foroperating a dynamo or generator to furnish electric current, foroperating a water pumping system, and for many other instances where itmay be desirable to start and stop an internal combustion engine byremote control.

The objects of our invention are: first, to provide suitable electricalcircuits whereby the starting and stopping of the engine may beaccomplished by remote control, as by a switch located at some distancefrom the plant; and second, to provide a shut-01f throttle valve adaptedto close the intake manifold upon stopping of the engine.

We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying. drawings, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic view of theelectrical circuits; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the carburetorshowing the shut-off valve and choker coils in section; Fig. 3 is afront view of the main relay; Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevations of themain relay showing it in, respectively, the positions which it occupieswhen the engine is stopped and when the engine is operating; and Figs. 6and 7 are diagrammatic views of the engine governor and switchconnections thereto. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughoutthe several views.

It will be understood that the circuits shown in the accompanyingdrawings constitute only the preferred form of our invention, and thatthey may be altered or combined by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention; therefore, we do not confineourselves to the specific details shown, but claim the construction andcircuits shown and all equivalents thereto.

The circuit includes two relays, a main relay and a starting relay. Italso includes an elec- 45 trio starting motor, a thermal out-out switch,a

choker coil, and a shut-01f valve coil. All of these parts arehereinafter more fully described.

The starting relay, the shut-01f valve coil and the choker coil may beof the solenoid or any 50 other suitable type. The main relay may be ofany type which, upon operation, simultaneously closes one circuit andopens another. A suitable type is that shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5,,commercially known as the Ward Leonard two wire con- 55 trol relay.

The parts of the above devices are numbered and described below.

The numeral I indicates the remote control switch for starting andstopping the engine. This may be a manually operated switch as shown, a5 time switch, an electrical relay, or any other suitable means forclosing the circuit as desired. The closing of the switch I establishesa control circuit from the storage battery 2, through wire 3, startingrelay terminal 4, wire 6, ammeter ter- 10 minal l, ammeter 8, ammeterterminal 9, wire I0, main relay terminal ll, main relay coil l2, mainrelay terminal I3, wire [4, thermal cut-out switch terminal l5, pivotedarm l6, thermometal strip l1, wire l8, switch I, and wire I9 to groundon the 15 engine frame. The negative terminal of the storage battery isgrounded to the engine, providing a return to the battery for anygrounded circuit.

The primary of the ignition magneto 20 of the 20 engine is grounded whenthe plant is not in operation through wire 2|, main relay terminal 22,contacts 23 and 24, and wire 25. The contacts 23 and 24 are closed whenthe plant is not in operation, as shown in Fig. 4 thus grounding the 25magneto. The main relay may be returned to this position by gravity orother suitable means, such as a spring, when the current ceases to flowthrough the coil l2 due to opening of the control circuit. The currentfrom the battery 30 which flows as a result of the closing of the abovedescribed or first circuit energizes the main relay coil I2, raising themain relay armature 26 and separating the contacts 23 and 24 as shown inFig. 5. This breaks the connection of the mag- 35 neto to the ground andallows it to become effective for the ignition of the engine through theconventional connections to its secondary, which are not shown.

It will be understood that in case battery ignition of the engine isused, the above described magneto circuit would be dispensed with, thebattery ignition circuit being controlled by reversing the operation ofcontacts 23 and 24 or by suitable connections to contacts 21 and 28.

The energizing of the main relay coil l2 and the raising of the mainrelay armature 26 serves also to close the contacts 21 and 28 which areopen when the plant is not in operation, and closes the second batteryor starting motor control circuit. This circuit branches from the firstcircuit at main relay terminal II, and flows. through wire 29, mainrelay terminal 30, contacts 21 and 28, wire 3|, starting relay terminal32, starting relay coil 33, starting relay terminal a third or startingmotor circuit for the battery..- current which branches from the controlcir cuit at starting relay terminal 4 and flows through contact 44,conducting bar 45, contact 43, starting relay terminal 5, wire 46,starting motor terminal 41, and starting motor windings 48, and toground on the engine frame.

The closing of the starting relay also estab lishes a fourth or thermalcut-out switch circuit which branches from the third circuit at starting relay terminal 5 and flows through wire 49, terminal 50, heater unit5| wire 52 to ground.

A fifth or choker coil circuit branches from the second circuit at mainrelay contact 28, and flows through wire 53, terminal 54, Wire 55,choker coil 56, wire 57, terminal 58, wire 38, spring contacts 39 and40, wire 4|, and ground on en gine frame.

A sixth circuit branches from the third circuit at starting motorterminal 41, and flows through wire 59, shut-off valve coil 66 andground to engine frame.

A seventh circuit branches from the fifth circuit at terminal 54 andflows through wire 6|, shut-off valve coil 62 and ground to engineframe.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a starting circuit which willoperate to start and stop an electric plant by the operation of a switchwhich may be a considerable distance from the plant.

The closing of the switch I starts current flowing in the controlcircuit, energizing the main relay coil |2, disconnecting the magneto 20from the ground and rendering the ignition circuit of the engineoperative and also closing the second circuit, which energizes thestarting relay coil 33, closing the third circuit and allowing currentto flow through the starting motor to crank the engine.

The fourth circuit through the thermal cutout switch is a safety circuitto prevent such prolonged cranking as to entirely discharge the batteryor overheat the wiring in case the engine fails to start. In such a casethe heat generated serves to operate the switch, opening the firstcircuit, thus de-energizing the main relay and consequently the startingrelay, and stopping the cranking operation. The fifth circuit operatesthe choker. coil 56 and chokes. the engine during the cranking period.The sixth and seventh circuits through shut-off valve coils 60 and 62open a shut-off valve 63 whichis hereinafter more fully described. Afterthe engine has started and has reached a certain speed an engineoperated governor separates the spring contacts 39 and 40. This governoris hereinafter more fully described. This opens the fifth circuit,discontinuing the choking of the engine and also opens the secondcircuit, de-energizing the starting relay, opening contacts 43 and 44,thus opening the third and fourth circuits, discontinuing the crankingand the current through the heating unit 5| of the thermal cut-outswitch. The opening of the third circuit also opens the sixth circuitand de-energizes the shutopened, opening the seventh circuit anddeenergizing shut-off valve coil 62 so that the shutolf valve closes'as'hereinafter described.

The storage battery may be recharged by any suitable circuit such asthat shown in Fig. l.

The'battery charging generator is a single wire unit with internalconnection to ground and may be the conventional type of charginggenerator. with third brush regulation as shown. Current from thegenerator passes through the reverse current relay 64, wire 65, ammeterterminal 9, ammeter 8, ammeter terminal 1, wire 6, starting relayterminal 4, wire 3, to storage battery 2.

In engines started by remote control it is common practice to regulatethe speed at which the plant is run by a mechanical governor actuated bythe engine which opens the throttle as the engine slows down and closesit as the engine speeds up. One type of governor for this purpose isshown in Figs. 6 and '7 and hereinafter more fully described. Thissystem, however, While very practical in maintaining a constant speed ofthe engine despite variations in the load, has the disadvantage that theengine always stops with an open throttle, consequently if there areheated carbon deposits in the cylinders the engine may not stop when theignition circuit is broken, but the heated carbon deposits in thecylinders may ignite the charge drawn into the cylinders through theopen throt-' tle, and the engine continue to run. This is a seriousdisadvantage in an engine designed for remote control with no operatorin attendance.

To obviate this difficulty we have provided means auxiliary to thethrottle for shutting off the intake manifold upon stopping of theengine shown in detail in Fig. 2 and consisting of the shut-off throttlevalve 63 in the intake manifold of the carburetor connected by the rod66 and Y the angular link 6'! pivoted at 68 to the movable plunger 69 ofthe coils 69 and 62. These coils are wound on the non-magnetic form 16and the iron plunger 69 is held in an upward position by the spring thusmaintaining the shut-off throttle valve in a closed position. The coils66 and 62 are energized by the sixth and seventh circuits abovedescribed and shown in Fig. 1, and serve to overcome the effect of thespring H and pull down the plunger 69, opening the shut-off valve 63 assoon as the cranking circuits of the engine become operative. The coil66 aids in this action upon starting, but is inoperative after theopening of the contacts 39 and by the engine governor after a certainpredetermined speed is reached. However, the coil 62 remains energizedduring the entire running period of the engine, and serves to hold theplunger 69 in the lowered position against the tension of the spring Hand thus maintains the valve in open 70 position during the running ofthe plant.

When the control switch is opened for stopping the plant the main relaycoil I2 is de-energized, opening contacts 21 and 28, disconnecting thecoil 62 allowing the plunger 69 to be .t. MMWW Wm.

pushed upward by the spring H. thus closing the shut-ofi valve. In thisway the engine always stops with the shut-off valve closed, while theshut-off valve is opened immediately upon starting of the crankingoperation of the engine and remains fully open during the running of theengine.

While we prefer to use two separate coils for accomplishing the downwardmovement of the plunger 69, thereby securing more positive action, thesame result may be obtained less positively with only a single coil.

To prevent discharge of the battery or injury to the circuit through atoo prolonged cranking in case the engine for any reason fails to start,we have provided the thermal cut-out switch, which automatically cutsout the current in such an event. The switch may be of the type shown inU. S. Patent No. 1,853,957 granted April 12, 1932 to Anton F. Brotz.

The choker hereinabove referred to is illustrated in Fig. 2 and consistsof the butterfly valve 93 in the air intake of the carburetor connectedby the rod 94 and the pivoted link 95 to the plunger 96. The plunger 96is normally held in an upward position by the spring 91, thus holdingthe valve 93 in open position. However, when the coil 56 is energized bythe circuits above described, it draws the plunger 96 down and closesthe valve 93 causing the choking of the engine.

The abovementioned engine governor is shown in Figs. 6 and '7. Thesefigures are diagrammatic rather than pictorial and it will be understoodthat many variations of the exact construction shown will occur to oneskilled in the art and may be used as equivalents without departing fromthe spirit of our invention.

In the drawings the numeral 98 indicates the weights of the governorwhich is driven in any suitable manner by the engine and may be of therevolving ball type having a collar 99 mounted on the shaft I00 so as tobe drawn upwardly as the weights 98 travel outwardly due to centrifugalforce. The lever IN is pivotally mounted at I02 and is pivotallyconnected to the collar 99 and to a link I03 which, at its oppositeextremity, is pivotally connected to the arm I04. The weight I05 mountedon the arm I04 acts as a dashpot and prevents over-running of thegovernor. The arm I04 is rigidly attached to the lever I06 which ispivotally mounted at I01. The link I08 pivotally connects one extremityof the lever I06 with the arm I09 of the main throttle valve H0. Thelink III connects the other extremity of the lever I06 with the contacts40 and opens and closes the contacts 39 and 40.

Thus it will be seen that when the engine is stopped the throttle valveH0 is in the open position, and the contacts 39 and. 40 are closed asshown in Fig. 8. As the engine speeds up and centrifugal force throwsthe weight 98 outward, the lever I06 is moved so as to close thethrottle valve 0 and also to open the contacts 39 and 40, discontinuingthe cranking of the engine as above described.

We claim:

1. In starting means for an internal combustion engine, a battery, aswitch operated control circuit from said battery, a relay in saidcontrol circuit adapted to close a second battery circuit upon closingof said control circuit and to open said second circuit upon opening ofsaid control circuit, a relay in said second circuit adapted to close athird battery circuit upon closing of said second circuit, a startingmotor included in said third circuit and actuated by the flow of currenttherethrough, and a shut off valve control circuit parallel to saidcontrol circuit and,

when energized, actuating a shut off valve coil to open a shut offvalve.

2. In starting means for an internal combustion engine, a switchoperated control circuit, a relay in said control circuit, a circuitcontrolled by said relay and including a starting motor, and

a shut off valve control circuit parallel to said control circuit andcontrolled by said relay, said shut off valve control circuit comprisinga shut off valve coil which is effective, when energized, n

to open a shut off valve.

3. In starting means for an internal combustion engine, a switchoperated control circuit, a shut 01f valve control circuit parallel tosaid control circuit, said shut ofi valve control circuit comprising ashut off valve coil which is efiective, when energized, to open a shutoff valve, a relay in said control circuit, a starting motor, meanswhereby said relay is effective to control the closing of a circuit tosaid starting motor, means independent of said relay for opening saidstarting motor circuit upon operation of the engine, and a second shutoif valve coil, positioned to aid the first mentioned shut off valvecoil and connected in parallel to said starting motor cir cuit.

4. In starting means for an internal combustion engine, a switchoperated control circuit, a relay in said control circuit, a shut-offvalve control circuit parallel to said control circuit and controlled bysaid relay, said shut off valve circuit comprising a shut ofi valve coilwhich is effective when energized to open a shut off valve, and meanswhereby the closing of said relay causes the closing of a starting motorcircuit and means independent of said relay for opening saidstartingmotor circuit upon starting of the engine.

EARL R. WITZEL.

REUBEN L. HUMBERT.

